MSF Warns Afghan Refugee Expulsions from Pakistan Spark Winter Humanitarian Crisis

January 8, 2026 Current News Articles

Khaama Press

January 8, 2026

Doctors Without Borders warns that mass Afghan refugee expulsions from Pakistan are creating a severe winter humanitarian crisis, putting children, women, and families at risk.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that the large-scale expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is creating a serious humanitarian crisis, particularly during the harsh winter months, endangering the lives of children, women, and families.

The organization said in a report released Wednesday, January 7, that many of the expelled refugees are being kept in temporary camps without proper shelter, and access to healthcare, clean water, and food remains extremely limited.

The report added that the forced deportations affect undocumented migrants, holders of Afghan citizenship cards, and temporary registration cards (POC), making conditions increasingly dangerous as winter intensifies across the region.

Xu Weibing, head of MSF’s mission in Pakistan, said Afghan families are caught between living in fear of deportation and returning to Afghanistan, urging the international community to provide immediate humanitarian and protective assistance.

Pakistan hosts one of the largest populations of Afghan refugees in the world, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. Previous repatriation efforts during winter have been criticized for lacking proper support systems, leaving vulnerable populations at risk.

According to UN agencies, Afghan refugees already face chronic challenges including limited access to healthcare, malnutrition, and overcrowded shelters, conditions that are significantly worsened during extreme winter weather.

MSF emphasized that without adequate shelter, medical care, and food, the winter season becomes a silent killer for Afghan refugees, threatening the survival of many vulnerable individuals.

Humanitarian experts have called for urgent international action, including temporary protection measures, emergency aid, and winterized shelter provisions, to prevent further loss of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

EU to Hold Special Meeting on Afghanistan’s Worsening Water Crisis

January 8, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 8, 2026

The European Union will hold a special meeting this month to assess Afghanistan’s deepening water crisis and explore practical solutions to growing shortages.

The European Union delegation in Afghanistan announced that it will hold a special meeting on January 21 to examine the country’s worsening water crisis. The session is organized in collaboration with the XCEPT research program and aims to identify practical solutions to mitigate the impacts of water shortages.

The meeting will bring together researchers, local officials, and representatives of international organizations to gather accurate information, exchange experiences, and propose strategies for better water resource management. Officials said the goal is to find actionable measures to alleviate water scarcity across the country.

Afghanistan has faced a severe water crisis in recent years, with many regions suffering from dwindling freshwater sources. Environmental authorities and experts warn that without urgent action, shortages could have far-reaching consequences for agriculture, drinking water supply, and daily life.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently reported that the rainy season in Afghanistan has begun warmer and drier than usual. Multi-model precipitation forecasts for November 2025 to January 2026 suggest that rainfall will remain below average, particularly in northern, northeastern, and central highlands. Snow accumulation is also significantly lower than normal, marking a critical hydrological deficit.

According to FAO, the Global Agricultural Monitoring initiative shows that the 2025/26 snow season started with the lowest “snow water equivalent” levels in 25 years, threatening spring irrigation, especially for wheat-growing areas reliant on river-fed systems.

Experts stress that with already low snowpack and continuing dry seasonal forecasts, concerns over adequate irrigation for spring 2026 are growing, potentially worsening food insecurity in affected regions.

Officials and humanitarian organizations are calling for immediate interventions, including improved water management, emergency aid, and infrastructure support, to protect vulnerable farmers and communities from further hardship.

UK MP Says Turning Back on Women in Afghanistan Betrays Women Worldwide

January 7, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 7, 2026

A UK MP warned that turning back on women in Afghanistan would betray women and undermine women’s rights globally.

Alice McDonald, a member of the UK Parliament, said in a statement that the government cannot turn its back on the crisis in Afghanistan. She emphasized that failing to act on gender apartheid and systemic oppression would betray not only Afghanistan women but women worldwide.

The MP described the situation for Afghanistan women and girls as “devastating,” but stressed that neither the UK nor the international community should surrender. Afghanistan women remain determined, resilient, and continue finding ways to run businesses and lead on the frontlines despite harsh restrictions.

McDonald added that combating systematic repression of Afghanistan women is essential for achieving global equality. She argued that gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also crucial for sustainable peace, security, and international progress.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, they have progressively stripped Afghanistan women of basic human rights, banning access to secondary schools and universities.

International condemnation has been widespread, with governments and civil society organizations calling on the Taliban to reverse these policies. Despite pressure, the group has continued enforcing restrictions and limiting women’s freedoms.

McDonald urged that the UK and other nations uphold global values and lead by example, offering hope to oppressed populations. She emphasized that concrete support for Afghanistan women must be a priority of international policy and humanitarian efforts.

Pakistan warns that Afghanistan is becoming ‘hub for terrorists’ and poses regional threat

January 7, 2026 Current News Articles

By MUNIR AHMED

Associated Press

January 6, 2026

Pakistan’s military is warning that Afghanistan is becoming a “hub for terrorists.”

ISLAMABAD — ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan ’s military on Tuesday warned that Afghanistan is becoming a “hub for terrorists and non-state actors,” widening its allegations to assert that its Taliban government is patronizing al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban.

Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry also told a news conference, without offering evidence, that about 2,500 foreign militants recently entered Afghanistan from Syria following the ouster there of former President Bashar Assad. Chaudhry asserted that the militants were invited to Afghanistan.

“These terrorists are neither Pakistanis nor Afghan citizens and belong to other nationalities,” Chaudhry said, adding that the reemergence of international militant groups could pose security risks beyond neighboring Afghanistan’s borders.

There was no immediate comment from Kabul to Chaudhry’s claim. Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war ended with Assad’s ouster in December 2024 but left behind a patchwork of armed groups on all sides of the conflict, shaped by years of foreign intervention.

Fighters from Syria have since taken part in other wars in the region and beyond, including Turkish-backed combatants sent to Libya and militants recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine. Foreign fighters have joined Syrian rebel factions, pro-government forces and extremist groups such as the Islamic State group.

Chaudhry’s remarks came a day after Pakistan and China called for more “visible and verifiable” measures to eliminate militant organizations operating from Afghan territory and to prevent it from being used for attacks against other countries.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent months, with tensions occasionally spilling into violence. In October, the countries came close to a wider conflict after Pakistan carried out airstrikes on what it described as Pakistani Taliban hideouts inside Afghanistan. Kabul retaliated by targeting Pakistani military posts. The fighting ended after Qatar brokered a ceasefire.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan and India of backing the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and the outlawed Baloch National Army. Both Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegations.

Chaudhry also said Pakistan killed 2,597 militants in 2025, up from 1,053 a year earlier. The country recorded 5,397 militant attacks, up from 3,014 in 2024.

“Yes, this is a big number,” he said of the 2025 attacks. “Why? Because we are engaging them everywhere.” He added that Afghan nationals were involved in almost all major attacks inside Pakistan last year.

3 Killed, 6 Injured in Takhar Protests Over Unregulated Gold Mining

January 7, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 6, 2026

Three people were killed and six injured during protests in Chah Ab, Takhar, as residents demonstrated against unregulated gold mining and environmental destruction.

Residents of Chah Ab district in Takhar province clashed with local forces during protests over unregulated gold mining and water resource damage, sources said. At least three protesters were killed and six others injured.

The demonstrations, which began several days ago, escalated on Monday, January 5, when locals took to the streets with sticks and tools to voice their grievances against mining companies.

Video footage on social media shows protesters confronting Taliban forces, including an incident where a Taliban member firing at demonstrators was beaten by the crowd.

During the clashes, sources reported that protesters also set fire to the property of the mining company. Unverified reports suggest that one Taliban member was killed in the confrontation.

The Taliban have increasingly focused on exploiting Afghanistan’s mineral resources, particularly gold in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, sparking widespread local opposition over environmental and economic concerns.

Similar protests occurred in Badakhshan earlier when residents opposed opium poppy destruction. UN reports indicate at least ten protesters were killed during that crackdown.

Analysts say the growing tension reflects deeper grievances in resource-rich provinces, where locals demand sustainable management and accountability from both the Taliban and private operators.

Observers warn that continued violent crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations could escalate unrest, further undermining public trust in the Taliban’s governance and their claims of legitimacy.

Pakistan and China call for ‘visible and verifiable’ steps against Afghan-based terror groups

January 6, 2026 Current News Articles

By MUNIR AHMED

Associated Press

January 5, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan and China called for more “visible and verifiable” steps to eliminate terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan and to prevent Afghan territory from being used for militancy against any country, according to a joint statement.

The statement issued Monday followed talks between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who met in Beijing on Dec. 4.

The two countries said “terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan continue to pose serious threats to regional and global security and stressed the need to prevent them from using Afghan soil to carry out attacks against other countries.”

There was no immediate response from Afghanistan’s government in Kabul.

China praised Pakistan for what it described as “comprehensive counterterrorism measures” and for protecting Chinese citizens and projects related to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, a program of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Thousands of Chinese workers and engineers are engaged in CPEC-related projects involving improvements to road and rail links between China’s western Xinjiang region and Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. In 2024, five Chinese people were killed when a suicide car bomber hit a bus in northwest Pakistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of sheltering the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which has been blamed for attacks inside Pakistan that have increased since 2021. The TTP is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban, which has governed the country since 2021 and says it does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against other countries.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have persisted since early October when Pakistan carried out airstrikes on what it described as Pakistani Taliban hideouts inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of alleged insurgents.

Afghan forces retaliated by targeting Pakistani military posts and claimed to have killed 58 soldiers. Pakistan acknowledged losing 23 troops.

The fighting stopped after Qatar brokered a ceasefire in its capital Doha. The agreement was followed by more talks in Istanbul, which failed to produce additional results.

Taliban spokesman accuses Pakistan of seeking to destabilise Afghanistan

January 2, 2026 Current News Articles

by Bais Hayat

AMU TV

January 2, 2026

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of seeking to destabilise Afghanistan in coordination with major powers, including the United States, as relations between the two sides remain strained despite multiple rounds of talks.

Mujahid said some elements within Pakistan’s military were acting at the behest of Washington to undermine security in Afghanistan and the wider region.

“Certain military circles in Pakistan, in cooperation with and at the request of major powers, are trying to destabilise Afghanistan,” Mujahid told an interview streamed on YouTube.

He linked the allegation to renewed US statements about Afghanistan’s former Bagram air base, adding: “When the United States raises the issue of Bagram, the question of Pakistan’s role in destabilising Afghanistan also arises. This can be pursued in a coordinated manner between the US and some military circles in Pakistan.”

Mujahid said the Taliban administration was not dependent on any foreign power and warned Islamabad against seeking influence over Kabul. “The Islamic Emirate is not reliant on any country, and Pakistan should not harbour dreams of dominance over Afghanistan,” he said. He again denied the presence of militant groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected such accusations and says militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operate from Afghanistan’s territory.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andarabi said in recent remarks that Afghanistan’s territory was being “widely used” by militant groups to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, and called on the Taliban to provide formal guarantees.

“Our demand from Afghanistan is clear: do not allow terrorists to operate against Pakistan from your soil,” Andarabi said. “These militants are not Pakistani citizens; more than 70% of them are Afghan nationals. We now expect a written commitment to ensure Afghan soil is not used against us.”

The Taliban have consistently denied supporting the TTP, saying security incidents in Pakistan are an internal matter for Islamabad.

Tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have intensified over the past three months, with border closures, rising rhetoric and Pakistani air strikes on Afghanistan’s border provinces. Pakistani forces also carried out strikes that, for the first time, reached areas in Kabul and Kandahar.

At least four rounds of talks between Taliban and Pakistani delegations, held in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh, have failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving relations between the two sides at one of their lowest points since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Pakistan deports more than 2,000 migrants in a day

January 2, 2026 Current News Articles

by Habib Mohammadi

AMU TV

January 2, 2026

Returning migrants from Pakistan. Archive photo.

Pakistan deported more than 2,000 Afghan migrants on Thursday, Jan. 1, the Taliban’s commission for refugee said, as Islamabad presses ahead with a campaign to expel immigrants without valid documents.

The commission said the returnees crossed into Afghanistan via the Torkham, Spin Boldak and Bahramcha border crossings. In the same period, 284 individuals returned from Iran through the Islam Qala and Silk Bridge crossings, it added.

The latest returns come amid a sharp rise in deportations from neighbouring countries. The United Nations says more than 2.6 million Afghans were returned to Afghanistan in 2025, mostly from Pakistan and Iran, warning that the influx is putting severe strain on the country’s limited resources.

International aid agencies have repeatedly cautioned that many returnees arrive with few possessions and little access to shelter or jobs, raising the risk of deepening poverty, renewed displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan economy remains unstable in 2025

January 2, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 2, 2026

Afghanistan’s economy remained fragile in 2025, with soaring unemployment, widespread poverty, disrupted trade, and declining incomes deepening hardship for millions of households nationwide.

Afghanistan’s economy remained deeply fragile throughout 2025, with the United Nations reporting unemployment at 75 percent and more than 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Years of conflict, political isolation, and shrinking job opportunities have continued to undermine household incomes and overall economic stability.

The UN also warned that over 70 percent of Afghans depended on humanitarian assistance during the year, as poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to livelihoods intensified across both urban and rural areas. Women have been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn.

Thousands of women stated that they have experienced after being pushed out of public institutions, private businesses, and even international organizations. According to UN figures, eight out of ten Afghan women have been excluded from education, employment, and skills training.

Economic pressure intensified after trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan was suspended in October 2025, cutting off a major commercial lifeline. The disruption affected imports, exports, and transit routes, compounding supply shortages and market instability.

Although alternative routes such as Iran’s Chabahar port and Central Asian corridors were introduced, analysts say these options raised transportation costs. As a result, food prices surged, agricultural exports spoiled, and trucks carrying goods remained stranded for weeks.

The United Nations identified deteriorating relations with Pakistan as a key factor behind Afghanistan’s economic shock, noting losses to traders, farmers, and transit markets on both sides. The disruption weakened regional trade integration and damaged local livelihoods.

A World Bank report released in December 2025 warned that rapid population growth, widening trade deficits, and persistent poverty continue to weigh heavily on Afghanistan’s economic outlook. Forced returns of migrants have further strained already overstretched communities.

Signs of fiscal stress have also emerged within the administration, with reports of delayed salary payments to public employees toward the end of the year, reflecting a growing budget shortfall.

Economists caution that without restoring trade flows, easing restrictions on women’s employment, and stabilizing regional economic ties, Afghanistan’s recovery will remain elusive.

International agencies warn that sustained economic decline could deepen humanitarian needs in 2026, unless structural reforms and regional cooperation are prioritized to prevent further deterioration.

Afghanistan Faces Severe Gender Restrictions as Women Denied Education and Employment in 2025

January 2, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 2, 2026

In 2025, Afghanistan women and girls faced widespread exclusion from education and work, worsening poverty, limiting economic growth, and threatening long-term social development.

Recent reports by the United Nations and international organisations show that in 2025, women and girls in Afghanistan continued to face sweeping restrictions on education, employment, and social life. These limitations have had deep economic and social consequences, even as many Afghans hope schools and universities might reopen to women in 2026.

According to the United Nations Development Programme’s 2025 report, more than 90 percent of Afghanistan women were excluded from employment opportunities, with only about 7 percent engaged in economic activity outside their homes during the past year. These restrictions have weakened household incomes and undermined the country’s prospects for sustainable development.

The UN Security Council’s Monitoring Team described the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan as “grave” in its annual assessment. UNICEF’s “Afghanistan Gender Index 2025” found that eight out of ten Afghanistan women remain deprived of education and work, placing Afghanistan among the countries with the world’s widest gender gaps. Estimates suggest these exclusions cost the Afghanistan economy more than one billion dollars annually.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also warned that restrictions on women’s access to medical professions and healthcare services are directly affecting daily life. In Kandahar, UNAMA reported that local authorities instructed male dentists not to treat female patients, requiring clinics to employ female doctors instead. These policies have reduced women’s access to healthcare and increased pressure on families and communities.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) identified the systematic exclusion of women and girls from public life as a key driver of Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian crisis. OCHA said the restrictions have heightened protection risks, including gender-based violence, child labour, and early and forced marriages.

Research published in 2025 by Georgetown University ranked Afghanistan as the worst country in the world for women out of 188 nations. The index, based on participation, justice, and security, found Afghan women at the lowest global levels of safety and access to justice, noting that one in five women experienced violence at home in the past year.

The widespread exclusion of women from education and work has produced severe social and economic fallout. Reduced female participation in the workforce has shrunk family incomes and national productivity, while denying education to girls threatens to entrench long-term inequality across future generations.

Reports confirm that in 2025 Afghanistan remained the only country in the world where girls above sixth grade were barred from schooling solely because of their gender. Experts warn that if this policy continues, it will cause lasting damage to human development, deepen poverty, and widen gender disparities for decades.

International analysts stress that empowering women and enabling their participation in public life is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for sustainable development and poverty reduction. Reopening schools and universities to women could bring significant benefits to health outcomes, economic growth, and social stability.

Following the political changes of 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan were barred from education and many forms of employment “until further notice,” a suspension that has now lasted for years. Despite repeated international appeals, authorities have so far offered no clear timeline or policy shift on restoring these rights.

Before these restrictions, women faced challenges but were still able to participate in education and the workforce. UN and international reports consistently conclude that restoring women’s access to schools, universities, and jobs would play a crucial role in reducing poverty, improving security, and supporting Afghanistan’s long-term development.

By MUNIR AHMED

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